Life After
by Black Silken Rose
Summary: Once the journey is over, the companions go their seperate ways. Neither Kurogane nor Fai want to seperate. But can they really make it work if they must choose one world to spend the rest of their lives in? Even so, will Fai need saving from himself?
1. Chapter 1

They had found themselves back at the witch somehow. He found it a bit unsettling, to once again be positioned in front of that little storefront, but to be a completely different person. Before the true realization of what the curse would mean to him was he had sworn not to let it change him, and then not to let the journey itself change him, and then not to let his companions change him. Each revising of his promise to himself was even more proof that he in fact _was_ changing, although he would never truly admit it to himself. Not until now. He knew that he had changed. He could only hope that it was for the better.

He glanced at the man next to him, briefly allowing himself to explore the changes in his traveling companion. The first things to catch his attention, like always, were his eyes. He had both eyes when they had begun the journey, his bangs not long enough to hide the truth in them that never wanted to be seen. Now, he could see the change in these eyes. They were both still there, even though sometimes out of the corner of his eye he could see shadows cast over one like the eye patch had covered it. They were different colours. Even with his magic, or at least a part of it, returned, he was still not human. Sometimes Kurogane wondered if he had ever really been human. It was a strange thought, but he shrugged it off, continuing to analyze the mage. He didn't look quite as lanky as he had when they had first met, in that exact spot so long ago. Even without what he would consider a substantial food source, he seemed to have a stronger bearing in the way that he walked. If Kurogane didn't know better he would have said that it was self confidence that had changed his gait, but even in his personal agony, he was never uncomfortable with the way others viewed him physically. Still, he seemed to have a strength in him that he had lacked before, as if a small piece to the puzzle that was his soul had been returned to him. Maybe his hair added to the affect. It was longer now than it had ever been. In the beginning, it had been long enough for short bangs but cut even and cleanly, as if along some sort of untold guidelines. Now it had grown out, long enough to be pulled back with a thick strip of dark leather. The bangs hid his eyes, although now they wanted to be seen open and honest. He was a strange contradiction indeed.

Kurogane knew that there was a physical change in himself, just like in the mage. He knew that their travels had aged him, even if just in the slightest. He knew that his look was softer before, even if only his companions could tell. He knew he carried himself differently, for his left arm was still awkward in its socket, still not quite second nature to use. Yet, the mage had not physically aged a day, even with all his changes. That worried the ninja, although he didn't quite know why. He knew that it meant he would probably die before the mage, but there were more immediate problems to be dealt with at the moment.

He noticed that the mage had directed his eyes toward him and he looked away. He hated to be caught staring, at the dancers in exotic worlds, at the delicious looking sweets in shop windows that he would never admit to actually liking, at the strange clothing of all the worlds, at the mage… Well, it had been rude on his part. He blinked, wondering where the witch was. She usually had impeccable timing, always butting in when her presence plagued him the most or just in time. At the moment, she seemed to not even be there. The landscape was eerily quiet, the only comforting effect being the incense burning from its hanging outside. Kurogane sniffed, looking back over at the mage when he heard the slightest rustling of cloth. Making himself presentable for the hag, he supposed. The mage looked at him for the briefest second, then looked to the sakura trees, sighing heavily without a word. Kurogane always appreciated silence, but considering the nature of the, well the only word he could bring himself to use was _situation_, he wasn't too pleased. He would end up speaking first.

"What?" He questioned the mage's sigh, finding nothing better to say in the moment. The mage continued to stare into the pink flowering buds.

"For some reason," he started, reaching up towards one of the buds, but pausing warily, "I just never really thought our journey would come to an end." He pulled his hand back, never touching the presumably soft petals. He looked at Kurogane with a small smile. "I suppose it shouldn't be this surprising, ne?" Kurogane frowned, his brow furrowed. The smile wasn't completely sincere.

"Not really." The end had been a bit of a shock to Kurogane as well, even though he had been thinking about it from the very beginning. What he wanted hadn't completely changed, but enough so that his home world, well, it would wait if it had to. "We need to come to a decision." He didn't mean to say it so quietly, but it was heard nonetheless.

"About what, Kuro-kun?" The painted smile was there again. He had thought that after Tokyo it might be gone forever, but old habits seemed to die hard.

"About what happens now, of course." The mage's eyes faltered for a second. A breeze blew past, ruffling his delicately fixed hakuma and hair. The mage looked in the direction of the wind, brushing his hair back. Kurogane waited.

"I'll go where Yuuko sends me. And you'll go home, am I right?" He smiled again, but even the smile looked blank.

"No." The mage's eyebrow raised. "You still need me to survive, just as much as I need you." Kurogane found his mouth was dry, but all the mage did was shake his head.

"I can find a way to survive through my magic until I find some sort of substitute. There has to be something on one of those worlds…" he trailed off. Then, after a moment, he said,"And why would you need me at all? There's no reason for that." He continued to stare at where the breeze came from as it pulsated through the air in small intervals. The ninja almost left it at that, waited until he had really no other choice, but that was what he was trying to avoid by doing it then, right? He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a grand total of two seconds before he spoke.

"Mage." He didn't move, only nodded in response. Kurogane tried again. "Fai." This time he turned, looking questioningly at the ninja, eyes unblinking. "I do wish to return to Nihon." He felt himself reach out and grasp the mage's wrist, turning it over in his palm to reveal the white underside. He was too pale for his own good. He needed to stop neglecting his health. "But I want you to come with me." He felt the pulse in his wrist change and turned it back over, not wanting to feel his reaction. "I love you, and I plan on going wherever you go. You can make my home yours too…" He stopped, not sure how to continue. The mage was quiet, his face blank. His eyes were wide, shock showing through the mask. His bottom lip quivered slightly, as if there was something he wanted to say. The wind picked up again, ruffling his hair again so that his eyes were blocked from sight. They stood like that for a moment, both unmoving and silent, until the door to the shop slid open. The kids ran out, happily surprised to see their companions, followed closely by the white thing and the witch. Kurogane dropped his wrist.

"Kurogane-san! Fai-san!" the princess yelped with pleasure as she ran over, enveloping the mage in a daughterly hug. He just stood there for a moment, clearly having not quite recovered from shock, and then, lifted his arms around her, returning the hug. Syaoran had walked over to the ninja, shaking his hand in silent thanks. Kurogane looked at him much more softly than he had last time they had been there and ruffled his hair affectionately. He knew he'd never see the kid again, might as well let him know that he was proud of him. They traded off, Fai putting an arm around Syaoran's shoulders in a half hug while Sakura proceeded to glomp the startled ninja. He couldn't help but smile a little as he raised his arms awkwardly around the princess, looking up to meet eyes with the mage. He smiled in response to the moment, but didn't meet the ninjas eyes. The hug broke, and Kurogane couldn't help but feel a strange emptiness overtake him. His eyes wandered to the form of the Dimension Witch. Damn her, and her timing. It was as if she had planned that from the beginning. He hadn't even gotten an answer from the mage, and the time for a decision was finally then. He wanted to wrap his hands around her skinny white neck and squeeze. He resisted though, to his own disappointment. She was, of course, his gateway home. If he _was_ going home that was. He didn't dare glance at the mage, not just yet anyway. The witch cleared her throat.

"Well done," she nodded in the direction of each of the companions, the stupid white thing bouncing from her arms to land on Kurogane's head, singing happily. He swiped it off with his mechanical arm. The thing wasn't too fond of that arm and hopped back to the hag dejectedly. "Your journeys are complete, it seems. Considering what you've each accomplished, I believe that Mokona can give you each one final trip, to wherever you'd like to stay. You do have the rest of your lives now in peace." She said this directly to the children, casting a twisted smile at the two adults, as if it were hardly over in their cases. Kurogane swallowed heavily. Surely, that was not good. "So, young ones, where would you like to go?" The Mokona danced a happy goodbye dance from its position in her arms. Syaoran linked his hands with the princess's.

"Home, back to our home. She misses her brother." Sakura nodded, gripping his hand tightly. "Please." She added, quietly. The witch nodded and the white fur ball jumped down.

"And you two?" She raised her eyes two the mismatched pair behind the children. Kurogane made to answer her, but was cut off immediately.

"We'd like to wait until after Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun are safely home before making that decision, if you don't mind," the mage said evenly, looking directly at the witch. She nodded. The children turned to them, Sakura with teary eyes and Syaoran with the upmost respect shining in his, as they said their final goodbyes. Once they were ready, Mokona jumped up and opened his mouth and then the children were gone. There was near silence; only Mokona's sad noises were heard. It seemed as if an eternity passed between them.

"Have you decided?" It was a horrible question. His decision rested solely on that of the mage's. It wasn't even as if he had gotten an answer! What if he was hated now? How could he keep the idiot mage alive if he wanted nothing to do with him? It was hard enough after Tokyo, but this was different. This was potentially worse. Why hadn't he thought of this beforehand? Why did he not just follow the stupid magician? It wasn't as if he could actually take care of himself and that was more important, even than Nihon, and-

"I have." There was no more time to think. Fai's voice shook him from his dream. "My home's been destroyed so I have none to return to," he looked down, hair covering his face, "I suppose I'll go where he goes then." Kurogane felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the mage looking at the witch with a gentle look, a sincere look, no lies this time. The witch turned to him.

"And where is it that you will go then?" He looked from the witch to the mage and then back a few more times as he spoke.

"I wish to return to Nihon. If you do, that is." The mage nodded. Nihon was as good as anywhere else, Kurogane supposed as the hand fell from his shoulder. It felt oddly cold now, but he ignored it.

"Fine," the witch began, "you do, however, realize that you will still have to act as E in your position back in your homeland, don't you? Otherwise he will not be able to survive. So no acting in the royal guard after he has fed unless you want to get both of you killed, understand?" He nodded, glaring at the mage. _So that using your magic to survive crap was just that_, he thought. _Still lying to me._

"Then," she paused, dropping to one knee to pet the white Mokona, "enjoy the rest of your lives." And they were gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Ugh, the next chapter is better than this one, but someone out there is bound to enjoy it. Tsubasa isnt mine, if it were Touya and Yukito would have their own side story.

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Chapter 2

Their landing was not the most pleasant that they had ever experienced, but it was not, by far, the worst. Kurogane found himself hitting the ground on his rear, falling over onto his back. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out the pink of sakura trees that could only be found in his homeland. The scent hit him next. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Home. The ninja stood, examining the oh so familiar area surrounding them. They were in the courtyard, of course, in the east wing of the royal quarters. There was a faint groan from somewhere next to him. _No, don't look yet._ It would be too much for him if it was all somehow just a lie. He heard a rustling from the same spot. Using all of his emotional courage, he looked. The mage was on the ground, a few flowers from the trees above nestled in his hair. The pale blue hakuma was askew, nearly falling from his pale shoulders as he sat with one knee pulled against his chest and the other stretched out in front of him. Kurogane could see now that even with his strong gait, he was still too skinny for his own good. He'd have to fix that.

He had just reached down to help the mage to his feet when the royal guard bore down on them. Kurogane had wondered why they had bothered to come at all. If he were in fact a dangerous intruder, which he was dangerous, but not a threat, he could have made his way into the princess's private quarters by then and begun his escape. Honestly, how had Tomoyo-hime survived this long without him? He just stood there as the defense squad gaped at him. Fai just waved and said something in a completely foreign language that managed to further confuse the foolish guards. Oh, right, language barriers. Well, he'd just have to talk to the witch somehow. He was not pleased about that.

It didn't take long to convince the guards to get him a private audience with the princess; half of them had known him before he was sent away and all of them were afraid of him. The mage seemed to be enjoying himself, babbling on in his native language to an extent that Kurogane wondered if everything that had happened since Tokyo was just a dream and that this was still the idiot that wanted to get himself killed. This was the most he heard coming out of the mage's mouth since before he had lost his eye, and he didn't understand a word of it. From the look on Fai's face, he knew just what Kurogane was thinking, and found it utterly hilarious. Kurogane was not in the least amused.

When Tomoyo saw the strange pair a look of the purest kind of affection spread over her face. She walked over to Kurogane, and he bowed, not realizing what was in store until he was stuck crouched in a bear hug which he wouldn't dare escape. The mage laughed behind him, still talking nonsense. The familiar urge to kill was rising in the back of his mind, but he quickly discarded the thoughts when he was released and caught the look in the mage's eyes. He was peaceful. That was enough to keep Kurogane from killing him, even if he was an annoying inarticulate fool. He couldn't help but smile a little at that thought, but composed himself. This was the time to be focusing on his princess, not the mage.

Tomoyo, however, seemed to be going through a similar thought process. The first words out of her mouth were, "Well, that wont do, will it?" The mage just laughed at her tone and said what were presumably his hellos. Kurogane rolled his eyes.

The next few hours were full of reintroductions and talk of the warrior's return. He never liked this sort of thing, especially now that his usual excuse for not talking was, in that sense, incapacitated. He wanted nothing more than to go to his abandoned house, find a nice cup of steaming tea, and make sure that the mage went to sleep instead of wandering off alone. He didn't think it was unreasonable, but Tomoyo was fussing over him as if he were a lost puppy that needed love and pampering. If anything, shouldn't he be the one fussing over her? Or at least reinstating an entirely new defense squad. Whoever had picked men for her newest guard needed to be made an example of. At least Souma wasn't coddling him. She was sitting practically on top of the mage, bottle of sake in hand and red faced, talking to him as if she could understand everything that was being said between them. The mage stole occasional glances at his partner, clearly saying, she's a feisty one, crazy, but with a good heart. Kurogane could only nod to that. There was food. There was drink. There was a very tired Kurogane dragging Fai out of the palace very early in the morning to make their way to his house. It wasn't far from where they began walking, but Kurogane found himself wanting to take his time and make his first trip back to his dwelling memorable. That it was, with the mage following in silence. He had stopped talking the moment that they were alone together. Kurogane couldn't really blame him. It had been a hell of a day, and the evening had ended with Tomoyo declaring the next day a national holiday in their honour. He wasn't quite sure how he would break that one to the mage, or if he would even be able to for that matter.

They came upon the house quickly enough, even with Kurogane taking his time and Fai trailing behind, obviously not familiar with where they where headed. It was a classic Japanese home, small for a standard family, but spacious for its usual one tenant. The place had gathered a fine line of dust while its air had lain undisturbed. Kurogane shook it off of his blankets and pillows with frustration the moment he had entered his bedroom, leaving Fai to examine his front room. He had just made it to the bedroom when Kurogane had began to leave, leaving them standing in the doorway with each other in the way. Neither of them moved, just waited for the other. After a moment of silence Kurogane ran a hand through his hair with a sigh,

"Fine then. How about some tea? Tea?" The mage cocked his head to the side. "Tea." Kurogane repeated, as if being more stern would have any effect. It must have, for he nodded and stepped out of the doorway.

The tea was made and drunk in silence while the two men analyzed each other. Fai looked so natural in his home, looking around like a child, but at the same time didn't fit in the way that you only could if you were from another world. His blonde hair would stand out there, too. Hopefully he wouldn't ever wander far away enough to meet people who didn't know him already. The women would jump on such an exotic feature. Suddenly the tea wasn't so relaxing. Still he waited for Fai to finish his before retiring. Finding a spare blanket and pillow didn't take too long, although Kurogane didn't have a clue that he even _had_ a spare blanket or pillow. He threw them at the mage, who caught them easily with the hint of a grin. They walked into the bedroom and Kurogane stripped himself of his armour. He went to put it in his wardrobe when he caught the mage just standing there, blanket in hand, staring. Kurogane walked back over, pushing his blanket aside with his foot.

"What is it, mage?" Fai still stood there, blinking for a second before babbling something he couldn't understand. It sounded like a joke of some sort. The ninja frowned. "Just get some rest. Tomorrow will be…busy." He almost shuddered at the though. Even worse than the actual celebration, Tomoyo might dress them up. The idiot mage would probably end up in women's clothes. He sighed, sitting on his bed mat, waiting for the mage to settle himself. Settle himself he did, finding a soft plot of floor and lying down facing the ninja. His eyes were closed before his head even hit the pillow. Kurogane wasn't sure whether he was genuinely tired or just didn't want to meet his eyes. After a few minutes without hearing his breathing change, he decided that it was a bit of both. He slowly allowed his eyes to close, letting that familiar, comforting feeling of Fai's presence wash over him. The mage was close and safe. He could sleep now.

It felt like one of the longest nights that Kurogane ever had. The therapeutic sound of the mage's breathing reassured Kurogane enough to keep his eyes closed, although he was awake. He hovered in that place between sleep and consciousness for most of the night. There were quiet noises of the mage shifting positions in his sleep, but besides that just the slow hum of night. This left the ninja with all the time in the world to lie there in silence and think.

He had never actually received an answer. That is, unless the mage's coming with him was his answer. Still, Kurogane couldn't help but feel the slightest tinge of disappointment at that. He was never one to translate emotions into words. Then, when the time had come and he was left with no other choice but to, the only word that could describe his feelings toward the mage was love. It wasn't as if he didn't know how he felt, he had known when he had cut off his arm after seeing the mage's past in Celes, he had known when the mage first fed unwillingly, he had known before he was faced with the trade in Tokyo. He had just never bothered to put it into words. Yet, he found that he had no choice but to find words when they faced the end. No, the mage hadn't really given him an answer, not a clear one at least. That just wasn't fair. Since when had Kurogane turned into a bashful schoolgirl anyway, with these things called "feelings"? The mage was the one who was supposed to get all choked up with these sorts of things. Not the other way around. Now he was beginning to get a little bit mad at himself. He was there, though. In his home world, in his house, in his bedroom. With no way to escape back into that mentality of worthlessness and agony. Kurogane wouldn't let him. He opened his eyes, turning his head to look at the object of his thoughts. He blinked. Fai was about two feet away from him, still seemingly soundly asleep. He had not been that close when Kurogane had first closed his eyes. He sat up, surveying the room from a new angle. No, definitely closer. How odd. Unless, that was the mage's way of giving him an answer when words couldn't be understood. Kurogane lay back down, mentally smacking himself. He couldn't get his hopes up. The mage had just moved in his sleep, that was all, nothing else to it. What was there to get his hopes up about anyway? That the mage wouldn't hate him now? That he wouldn't run off as far as he could to escape? That he wouldn't refuse him as prey? None of the scenarios pleased the ninja. Were those the best he could hope for? He didn't know what he'd do if the mage went to the witch asking to leave him. _Follow after_, came to mind, but Kurogane doubted he had anything left to trade to the witch for that wish. He had to make Fai coherent too, which was also a mystery as to how he would make that happen. At least Fai was here with him now, and from the looks of it, not planning on running away until at least morning. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments, then closed his eyes again, reluctant to do so.

It was another hour or so before he heard a rustle near him. The ninja lied there unmoving, waiting, listening. A few minutes passed. He turned his head just the slightest and opened one eye. The mage was even closer now, not even a foot from the edge of the tatami mat. He wondered if he should try to wake the mage up and demand an answer from him. He opened his mouth to speak, and then stopped. It was peaceful, serene, and not as if he'd be able to understand anyway. So instead of starting a completely one sided conversation that would in any and all ways end up with him being frustrated and the mage being confused he got comfortable and closed his eyes, this time actually drifting to sleep.

When he woke up at dawn, the mage was curled up at the edge of the bedding, his hand grasping Kurogane's blanket.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is up! Bear in mind I wrote this at 3am so if it sucks you can blame exhaustion. Tsubasa is not mine, if it was then there would be a whole volume in the manga where Kurogane and Fai just excercise their affections for each other. And a long make out scene in the anime. The good part is coming up really soon, by the way!

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Chapter 3

The day started too early in Kurogane's opinion. Usually, he was an early riser, one to get up with the sun and be ready for whatever challenges he might have to face. He had supposed that his first day home would be different. He would be able to relax and at least enjoy one sole day to himself before reinstating his duties as Tomoyo's personal guard. However, he didn't even have the luxury of sleeping in. As soon as the mage was awake he had dragged the sleepy ninja out the door. Kurogane assumed that he wanted to "explore" his new home. Home. Kurogane liked that word. Unfortunately for the mage, as soon as they arrived at the palace a grand celebration was just beginning. Tomoyo herself began pulling them from outside to one of her dressing rooms to get them acceptable for the occurrence. Once she had ordered one of her servants to find suitable clothing and was busy looking with the young lady, Fai shot Kurogane a look that very clearly said "Forgot to mention this little detail, did you?" The ninja could only shrug in a manner which an onlooker might mistake for sheepishly.

Fai was dragged behind a sort of changing wall and given garments to change into while Kurogane simply argued with Tomoyo that a warrior should proudly wear his armour to any special occasion. When she continued to fuss, he outright refused to change, but gave in to letting her style his spiked hair (which he saw no difference in after the fact). Tomoyo beamed like a child at yuletide when the mage stepped out, with his hands stretched in front of him like the living dead and his head hung so that he could examine himself. The princess clapped wildly and motioned for him to turn for his audience. He did a half turn, and then turned back, looking unsure at Kurogane, as if he had suspicions. He was right to, for the robe, so light a shade of purple it looked almost white, looked suspiciously to Kurogane like women's dress. He turned to say something to Tomoyo, but the look she gave him shut him up right away. His princess was frightening sometimes.

Somehow during the course of the day, Kurogane talked his princess into getting him an audience with the dimension hag. How she did it, he didn't know, but he knew better than to ask. Her methods of doing everyday _normal_ things sometimes worried him, he didn't need to know how she summoned witches. The witch seemed not surprised in the least to be hearing from him, although, when had she ever seemed surprised? He couldn't recall a time.

"Did you forget about something before?" The quiet amusement in her tone made Kurogane's metal hand twitch in the anticipation of silencing her. He restrained himself. Before he could answer, the mage's incoherent babble had started again as he waved happily at the image of the witch. She grinned that all knowing, evil grin of hers. "I was wondering when you'd notice that."

"_That_," Kurogane growled, "needs to be fixed." Yuuko nodded, grin still in place. The white manjuu bun could be seen bouncing around behind her, trying to get into view. She must have been using the other one to communicate.

"Ask for exactly what it is that you want, Kurogane. Otherwise you might end up with something you didn't bargain for." His face twitched. _Did we ever end up with exactly what we asked for?_ he thought to himself. The answer was a very simple and obvious no.

"I want him to be able to speak with us and understand us. As in Japanese." Did he have to make it any simpler? The witch nodded again, this time without the smile.

"I'll see what I can do. What do you have to trade in return for his ability to communicate?" _See. What. You. Can. Do!_ Now he was really getting frustrated. Frustration led to anger. Anger led to dead hags. The ninja decided that the sooner the conversation was over, the better.

"You tell me." It wasn't as if she would just accept anything he had to offer. Might as well cut to the chase.

"Something that you've given up already. Your home." He paled slightly. How was that an even trade? Nihon was his everything, well, next to the well being of the mage. He could do without the noise of the mage anyway. They didn't need to talk to understand each other, that had already been proven. Still, it would make things more difficult if he had to put aside his duties as a ninja to school Fai in his language, not that he'd be able to understand the word "lesson." Even so, it was in no sense of the word fair.

"I've only been back one day; you expect me to pick some random world to settle down in?" The witch shook her head, re-explaining as if she were talking to a small child.

"I'm not asking you to give up your _world_ Ninja, I'm asking you to give up your home. The plot of land on which you live. Your house. Everything in it. I'll let you keep the black pewter tea set, since I know you like it. The house would fit in quite nicely here, and I need a place for some young workers of mine to stay when bad spirits are near. Watanuki-kun still isn't used to them." She grinned as a crash was heard from somewhere behind her and the skinny boy flailed his arms about spasmodically as a taller, stoic looking one dragged him out of view by force. Kurogane really couldn't care less what she decided to do with the house if he gave it to her. Which he would.

"Deal. Now fix this idiot," he mumbled under his breath, ignoring the still smiling idiot mage. "And you're lying about the house." Now she did seem, just the slightest bit, genuinely surprised.

"Not lying, just not explaining all of my motives for it. It will need modern furnishings, like a large four poster bed. You don't have one of those, I'm guessing?" He avoided the question with another of sorts.

"I thought that there were two of them?" Tomoyo coughed and he turned to glare at her, giving the witch a chance to divert the subject.

"The deal is done; the trade has been made. Mokona will be with you shortly so that you can redeem your half of the trade. Until the next crisis." The transmission vanished. It wasn't long until Kurogane felt something along the lines of static electricity and then the thump of something furry hitting his armour. It climbed under his shirt, poking out in front of his face to cry "Kuro-puu!" Oh yes, if he got his hands on the hag, she was dead.

Fai welcomed the white thing happily, not saying anything. They'd be able to understand each other with the manjuu bun there, so why was he suddenly lost for words? Kurogane hoped that the white thing wouldn't be sticking around as the solution.

"Kuro-rin! Mokona has something special for you and Fai-chan! Here you go!" It opened it's oversized mouth and out popped what looked to Kurogane like his tea set. That was useful, wasn't it? "All done!" Mokona cried in that happy tine that made the ninja want to scalp squirrels.

"How is this going to help us?" he growled in the usual way that he would address the fuzz ball. It bounced to the still quiet Fai merrily.

"Teacup! Teacup! Hiding in a teacup! And its not tea! Teacup!" it sang joyously. This day wasn't going to get better, was it? He walked over, fumbled with the few cups, and pulled out something that dangled between his fingers.

"This is it?" It nodded as best it could.

"Yup! It's a bracelet that molds to the skin and translates for you! Mokona thinks it's pretty! Just like Fai-chan!" Pretty was a good enough word to describe it. It was an odd sort of bracelet, the kind with a decorative piece taking up most of it and four thin gold chains, one from each corner of the design, leading to the clasp. The design in question was a wing made of seven connected strips of gold, each meeting in a curve at one end, and branching out in a point at the other. It looked oddly familiar. He handed it off to the mage.

"We should see if it works before the thing leaves," he said, dropping it into Fai's outstretched hand. The talking manjuu bun laughed.

"Silly Kuro-kuro! You can't tell if I'm here!" It's hopping was now beyond irritating.

"Then get out of here and we'll test it out!" Kurogane grabbed it, giving it a not-so-hard shake. It laughed.

"Okay Kuro-chan, but you better get Yuuko if you need her!" He bounced to Fai to say goodbye (yet again) and it was finally quiet. Almost. The mage was saying something ridiculous again.

"Just put on the damn bracelet." Kurogane muttered, pointing at the item hanging from the mage's hand. He complied slowly, taking his time to see how it attached. The design seemed to go against the inside of his wrist, for when Fai placed it against the skin of his right wrist he hissed, the bracelet making a seal with his skin. He fumbled awkwardly with the clamp, only being able to use one hand. Kurogane reached over and hooked it for him, earning a look of thanks. The bracelet fitted itself to him, the chains sinking into his skin, until the only sign of the bracelet was the gold pattern on his wrist. The mage ran a few long fingers over it. It was completely smooth, like a tattoo.

The first words out of his mouth were, "How did we do that without Mokona here?" Tomoyo grinned wolfishly.  
The mage, disturbingly, didn't tell anyone much of anything now that he could speak. He talked, he talked enough to drive Kurogane to the point of murder, but he never actually told anyone anything. He had asked Souma to explain a few characteristics of their culture to him while Kurogane found a place to put his tea set (now his only belonging). Souma didn't tell him anything that he hadn't already heard from Kurogane at one point or another during their time together, but he listened intently anyway, as if trying to avoid conversation that actually had to do with _him_ or Kurogane for that matter. His actions and intentions seemed fake once again. There wasn't much that the ninja could do about it just then, it was a national holiday after all, and national holidays at the palace were unlike anywhere else. It was a full out celebration, much like the festivals of other worlds that the children and the mage had dragged him out to see. He found them all the same, loud, draining, and tiresome. The only difference with this one was the size. Even with nobles and royalty attending, the children still ran amuck and the adults still drank heavily. He could just picture the mage sitting at one of the venders with a bottle of sake in front of him. He had seen it many times before towards the beginning of their journey. At the moment the mage had wandered off, hiding somewhere in the crowd, no doubt in an attempt to avoid Kurogane. So this was his answer, now that he could speak, to not answer at all? Kurogane had ripped out his heart and handed it to him and all he was going to do was stand there in dumbfounded silence? Not even that, for he had obviously recovered from the shock. It was entirely voluntary now. What gave him the right to ignore the ninja's feelings? Then again, what gave the ninja the right to force them upon him? Love was cruel, crueler than any battle Kurogane had faced, even if in a different way. If love was forcing him to make these stupid analogies then what else could love be doing to him? He had to stop using that word. Before he had no choice but to confess, that word would have had no place in his vocabulary. He didn't deny that love existed, but never thought he himself would be subject to it. He never really had the desire to be subject to it. He had thought of the relationship that his parents had, what he could remember of it anyway, and had thought that if that was love, then why not? This wasn't that. It wasn't as happy or pure or even as fruitful. It was painful.

Fireworks began to shoot into the sky. They were mainly red, blue and gold, swirling and twisting around each other like lovers. During the finale two special rockets were shot up in honour of Tomoyo's guests of honour, which Kurogane was unhappy to discover were he and the mage. A blue streak flew up and expanded into the shape of a phoenix, closely followed by a red dragon exploding nearby. They faded into the darkness together with the last of the lights. Kurogane wished that the mage had been with him to see it, even if it were an unwelcome tribute to them.

He didn't see the mage standing off watching him throughout the display.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello Everybody! Chapter four is finally up! This one has a dedication! Yay! Dedicated to ..Screaming for saying that she likes my story and putting up with my madness 3 This one is for you because Fai finally comes to his senses a little bit!

Tsubasa is not mine, if it were, well... there would be a scene with Fai undressing in a little purple thong with a bow... and a cowboy hat... that reminds me of a picture I saw...

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Chapter 4

He wasn't sure if it was curiosity or the need to verify the events of the day that led him to where his house used to be. If for some reason the witch had left it where it was, he was sure as hell going to use it. Also, it was a good excuse to get the mage alone, even if he wasn't going to talk to him. The walk was long enough to force the awkwardness away from them. At least, that was what the ninja hoped. Fai hadn't seemed too keen on going, but it did seem better than indulging a semi-drunken Tomoyo, who very much had wanted him to model certain articles in her royal wardrobe. He would have been shocked to realize that she hadn't touched a drink all night long.

When they got there, Kurogane's mouth gaped open in silent horror. She had taken it. All of it. Even the plot of land that he had owned was missing. The witch had literally lifted everything inside his property lines and moved it to her world, leaving the ground continuing from one side of where the property was to the other as if it had never existed. She had somehow changed his world physically. The fact that she had enough power to do so disturbed the ninja. Fai just stared at the non-existent house.

"Should we go back?" Oh, so he could speak. That was shocking. The ninja turned and nodded to him.

"Tomoyo-hime's given us a chamber in her wing. We can stay there until we work this out." He began to walk back, not turning to look at the mage. This was going to be fun. Right. The walk back turned out to be just as silent as the walk there.

The chamber assigned to Kurogane and Fai was spacious compared to the bedroom in Kurogane's former home. It was actually two rooms that simply didn't have a dividing wall, the bedding in one and a small sitting area in the other, complete with a table. On said table sat the black pewter tea set. Wonderful. The ninja pulled off his armor and slipped into a more comfortable robe, leaving the mage to stand where he was in silence. When he looked, the mage was scratching his head in thought while looking at his surroundings. _Idiot,_ was the only thing that came to Kurogane's mind.

He had just walked into the hall to wave down a servant for some dinner when he realized that Fai hadn't eaten. Not only had he not eaten that day, but he had been neglecting himself since before the end of things. How had he missed that? He had been sitting right there at the feast the night before, just watching as everyone else ate, not touching the food himself, not that it would do him any good. Once, the ninja inquired to how food tasted to the mage since he had changed. The cold answer he had received was that it was like having a mouth full of ash. Why hadn't the mage said anything about Kurogane's oversight? Well, he knew the answer to that one too. Maybe Kurogane was the idiot after all.

Forgetting about the food for himself, he slid the panel door shut with a light thud. The mage was sitting on the tatami mat, facing away, looking out the open back door at the night. Kurogane didn't particularly want to approach him, especially after his silence throughout the day, but knew that he didn't have much choice. He sat down next to the mage, waiting a moment before actually saying anything.

"Oi. Mage." He didn't look at the ninja, just kept staring into space. He let out a preoccupied, "Hmm?"

"You haven't feed." That captured his attention. The mage looked at him blankly, not able to help that one eye was slowly becoming yellow.

"It's fine." He looked back out at the stars, clasping his hands together in his lap, just a bit too tightly to convince the ninja. Kurogane sighed, pulling a dagger from his belt. He had anticipated this. It was always the same game with Fai, a game which the mage would always lose, in the end. At first it was because of his hate for the ninja, because he didn't want to live because of him. Now, it seemed to be because he felt guilty for taking his life force. He was a parasite. Even though Kurogane had been the one to make him this way, it felt wrong to feed off of him. Still, the ninja would always give Fai the chance to take what he needed, and when he didn't he would cut himself and force the mage to drink. Fai couldn't let him just bleed out. It would be wasteful not to do something about all the blood, and he would heal faster if the enzymes in his saliva bonded with the clotting agents in Kurogane's blood, right? The argument in Fai's head was more or less always the same. He would then tip his head over the wound, trying to hide his face, as he became a monster, as he literally sucked the life out of someone he cared about. It was a just punishment, considering he wasn't supposed to care for anyone. What was more fitting than to slowly kill that person? He didn't want to drink. He would prefer death.

"Let's do this my way then." Kurogane pulled the edge of the blade to his wrist, but a long hand slid it from his fingers, another hand grasping his wrist. As much as he didn't want to drink, he didn't want to see the ninja hurting himself. The mage placed the knife down delicately on the floor next to him, then rose, turning his back on the ninja.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kurogane was beginning to get angry now. If the mage wasn't going to feed, then what was the point of going with Kurogane in the first place? He refused to speak to the ninja unless forced to, he avoided his company, and now he was going to deny him as E? Kurogane had nothing else to be denied.

"Out." It was a cold, unfeeling tone. It was that tone that caused the ninja to snap.

Kurogane wasn't thinking when he grabbed the mage by the wrist, spinning him around. Neither was Fai. He fell, reaching around with his right arm as he did so to grab the knife still sitting next to the mat. He barely reached it when his head hit the wall behind him, the ninja nearly on top of him. It was less than a second before he swung his arm in an arc, cutting the ninja just below the jaw line as he turned his head. The ninja pinned his arm against the wall, using his good arm to trap the mage's head in place by the neck. Fai glared at him, holding back an animalistic growl. Then he saw the cut. He shook, trying to duck his head and hide behind his bangs. The ninja held him in place, tightening his grip. The knife fell out of each of their grasps.

"Drink." He pulled his arm away so that Fai could reach him, but the mage only tried to curl in on himself. "_You_ cut me this time. _Drink_." There wasn't much blood flowing, in fact the actual flow itself had stopped, but it was enough so that when the mage looked up to see the wound, Kurogane saw that his right eye had narrowed to a black slit surrounded by gold. The mage caught his eye, then dropped his head again, trying to push the ninja back with the arm that wasn't being held to the wall. Even with the strength of a vampire, the gesture was weak.

"No." It came out as more of a sob than a word. He was really shaking now, to the point where Kurogane was having trouble keeping him sitting upright.

"Damn it, Fai!" He grabbed the back of the mage's head and pulled it roughly to his neck, close enough to feel his breath on the wound. The mage's shock only had a short second to register, then his tongue was darting out to taste the red. He broke Kurogane's grasp, grabbing him by the shoulders instead of pushing away. There wasn't enough, though, and Kurogane knew that. He peeled the mage back a little and offered his wrist again, thinking that the mage wouldn't be able to refuse in such a state. Surprisingly, the mage swatted it away.

"I want to try something different," he said slowly, leaning back slightly so that his back was against the wall again. Kurogane didn't say anything, just waited for the mage to do whatever he had in mind. He hadn't expected the mage to lunge at him, brushing his lips against his neck gently before scraping his teeth over the tan skin and biting in roughly. Kurogane jumped, causing a sharp pain to shoot through him, and even more to when he tried to push the mage off of him. He wasn't going anywhere, though, not until he was finished. The ninja tried to calm himself and let the mage take what he needed, but gods did it hurt. Each long, steady suck pulled the mage's fangs into him a little further, and each time he swallowed they scraped against him as they pulled out slightly. He tried to focus on something else while the mage fed, seeing as he was taking his sweet time.

The first thing that Kurogane thought of while trying to ignore the pain was the familiar scent around him. He would smell Fai's hair, which was in part smashed against his face. He turned his head slightly to get closer to it, finding the position more comfortable. He smelled of cherry blossoms and apple grass and blood. It was an odd combination of nature and death. Even so, the ninja found it comforting during this ordeal of sorts. The next thing that Kurogane thought of was how the mage was reacting to his blood. He would feel his breath against his skin, coming out fast and heated since he was breathing out of his nose. His heartbeat was faster too; Kurogane could feel it since he was pressed up against him. Ah, he was pressing against Kurogane, desperately, as if he would never feed again. One hand was gripping his shoulder while the other, the one that had been pinned against the wall, was grasping the front of his robe, nails digging into the ninja's chest almost as painfully as the fangs in his neck. They were touching. Physically connected. The mage never would have allowed for that if he had been in his right mind. No more than holding his wrist while he fed, at least. With each slow suck, the mage moved his body. It was a silent rhythm, his body caressing the ninja's, then pulling away gently over and over. It was like a wave beginning at his lips and moving lower until it hit the ground at which he was anchored. Kurogane felt his own heartbeat speed up at this realization. The sting at his neck was nothing compared to this feeling, the feeling of the mage moving unconsciously against him. His hands had slid to the mage's back while he fed, and now one moved up to play with the long hair that fell between his shoulder blades and the other down to the small of his back. Kurogane loved the way his back curved, more seductively than any other being he had ever encountered. The mage's breathing hitched slightly and he pulled out, leaving the red bite marks plainly visible. He didn't move back though, just stayed against the ninja, letting him hold up his weight. There was a moment of silent breathing, then the mage reattached himself to the ninja's neck, just sucking, without entering his fangs. He wasn't quite finished yet.

It was just as the mage had begin to run his tongue over the still fresh wounds and Kurogane had gotten a tingly feeling running from his hair to his toes when the door to the chamber was pushed open and a young steward ran in, breathless. Kurogane didn't have enough energy to do more than look at the boy while the mage, now straddling his lap, gave the boy a death glare.

"Yes?" He wiped the blood that was trickling down his chin with the sleeve of his disheveled hakuma. His eye was still an eerie gold. The boy shuddered.

"Someone reported hearing a loud noise coming from this area of the wing and the princess sent me to investigate, sir!" The boy looked utterly terrified. Fai couldn't blame him. The ninja was quite a sight at the moment. Not that he looked much better.

"Is everything alright?" The boy didn't get to finish his sentence. He was cut off by the loud thud of Kurogane hitting the floor as he passed out. Fai leaned over in time to cushion the back of his head from the fall, but not much else. He was in an awkward position, after all.

"He's not dead, is he?" the boy shrieked, paling visibly. The mage ran a hand through his disheveled hair, shaking his head.

"No, he's just unconscious. Fetch a medical supply kit and bring it back here. I'll care for him." The boy looked unsure. "It's fine. Go." He did just that.

The mage was not happy, to say the least. Kurogane had tricked him into feeding. Alright, maybe tricked wasn't the right word, but that was how he felt at the moment. He wasn't supposed to be feeling at all when it came to the stoic ninja. _I'll care for him._ That was truer than he wanted to admit. It took a great deal of effort to untangle himself from the ninja's limbs, but he was successful soon enough. He wasn't bleeding as freely now, although Fai would have been able to stop that completely if they weren't so rudely interrupted. He hadn't wanted to feed, but once that switch had been flipped inside him, the best he could do was try not to kill Kurogane. He hadn't even succeeded in doing that well enough. He sat, cross-legged, next to the ninja. This wasn't good. Worse than that, it was wrong. He tried not to look at the ninja as he removed the top of his robes, pulling his arms out and pushing the material as far down as he would need, but it was a vain effort. Some of the blood had trailed down his chest, staining the tan skin. It took all the strength that Fai had not to lean over and run his tongue over the trail, to get the last of what would have been his. No, he kept controul, but just barely. Only because the ninja was asleep and wouldn't be able to keep him from going further. That, and if he woke up, it wasn't as if Fai could blame the same starved insanity at this point. Even after drinking so much, there was still an empty spot in the pit of his stomach. Nothing would satisfy him unless he took it all, which he certainly was capable of. He reached out to push aside the strands of black hair that had fallen in the ninja's face as the door slid open yet again.

"H-h-here you go." The boy dropped the small kit in front of the mage, next to Kurogane. The mage didn't look up at him, just stared at the red blotches his fingers were leaving on the ninja's forehead.

"Thank you. Goodnight." The steward left hurriedly, closing the door, much to Fai's appreciation. He set to work, cleaning and dressing the wounds on the ninja's neck and removing the red from both of their faces. He was ashamed again. This time Kurogane had lost consciousness. It wasn't the first time, but those had always been times of extreme desperation. This time was different. He had gotten caught up in the feeling of Kurogane, his neck under his mouth. The feel of his heartbeat had been too strong for him to bear when he had started at the cut, he couldn't help himself. He had never really considered feeding at the neck to be an option. He fed directly at the wrist because it was the most pleasant way for them both to get the experience over with. If he had let Kurogane bleed into a cup or bowl, the blood would be at the wrong temperature to drink. That was never pleasant. At the neck, though, everything seemed so enhanced. The pulse was so much more apparent, as if it was begging for Fai to take it there. The ninja's reaction didn't do much to turn him off of the idea, physically, at least. True, he had struggled for a few seconds in the beginning, but after that the mage had felt his body relax, his face burrow into his hair, practically gasping for breath. The rest of his body had been no better. His hands had begun to roam without purpose and finally settled on two of the most intimate parts of the mage, holding his head in place as he drank and regulating his movements as he did so. He knew that he had been rocking, it was part of the instinct, but then the ninja had begun to rock _back_. He wasn't sure if the ninja was even aware of it. There was a familiar way that their abdomens slid over each other, the way they had positioned themselves on top of each other, even though they had never done anything like that in their lives. It felt so right to be holding the ninja in place violently while being held just as strongly in place. His feeding had almost seemed to become a sexual experience. There was a fire in him when he fed, although this one seemed different, as if it wasn't just about the blood. It was more the _need_, for what exactly, well, he wasn't about to admit anything, to himself or anyone else just yet.

The ninja came to his senses not long after, enough to pull himself onto the tatami mat correctly with the mage's help. He was disoriented as hell, not sure where he was and muttering something about being naked without his armour. The mage tucked him into a blanket carefully, then got up to leave the ninja his dreams.

"Fai," the ninja cried out in a mixture of what sounded like confusion, fear, and need. It made the mage stop cold, never having heard the ninja so openly vulnerable. He turned and kneeled down again, resting a hand hesitantly on the ninja's shoulder.

"I'm here." He tried to say it with a smile, but it came out sad and tired. The ninja turned his head in the direction of the mage's voice, but didn't open his eyes. There was a moment where everything was still.

"It's okay." His breathing became steady as he drifted back into sleep. The mage didn't move, just stared incomprehensively. He pulled his hand back, sinking against the wall behind him, where he had been pushed earlier. He wanted to cry. He wanted to throw that stupid tea set against the wall and scream. He wanted to destroy an entire world. Instead, he pulled his knees against his chest and covered his face with his hands. Quiet, broken laughter was the only noise in the silence.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello, everyone! This is the shortest, and in my opinion suckiest, chapter so far, but I can guarantee that the next chapter (as my plea for forgiveness from all of you wonderful readers) will be well worth my momentary insanity when writing this one. Tried not to get OOC, but it tends to happen when writing at midnight.

Thanks to everyone who actually reviews this, because when I feel like slitting my wrists over this story, the reviews get me back up and running happily. Love you all!

Tsubasa is not mine. If it was, the plot would be lacking a bit due to the absence of the kids for the most part...

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Chapter 5

Kurogane's recovery took longer than the mage had hoped. He was examined by the royal physician and told that besides the blood loss, he was perfectly healthy, thank you very much. His body needed to compensate for what had been lost, so bed rest had been ordered and the princess would have it no other way. Kurogane seemed more worried about the idiot guards protecting the young ruler than his own health, but gave up on arguing when she threatened him with a new wardrobe for the mage. They'd never be able to take each other seriously if one of them was dressed like a half naked schoolgirl.

The mage was unusually uneasy about the ninja's recovery. He had been wounded in battle before, or had a particularly bad feeding experience, but he had never responded this way. Usually, the warrior would be on his feet, stumbling about, reciting some self promise of a warrior's pride and how he was quite capable of moving around with such a pathetic excuse for a flesh wound. It would take the careful strength of both the mage and the boy to lay him back down and the gentle watch of the princess to keep him there. This time, though, Kurogane wasn't fighting his body. The first day Fai had just shrugged it off, the second day it had been a bit unnerving, but by the third he had begun to worry about if he had actually caused the ninja some unspeakable harm. He never asked though, too afraid of the answer as well as the question itself. He didn't say much to the ninja at all, telling himself that he was just respecting his love of silence, but knowing that it was just a shallow lie. In return, the ninja was just as silent, if not more. That also disturbed the mage. He had been expecting something… well something _more_. He thought that the ninja would try to talk to him about them, about the new world, about how he felt. He couldn't even admit how he felt to himself, let alone the ninja. Shouldn't he be relieved? He wasn't, though, for one reason or another. He could tell that in some way he had hurt the ninja besides the marks on his neck. Even so, the mage had no answer for him. He couldn't have one.

Still, it wasn't long before the silence had become too troublesome to ignore and the mage had no other options but to say something to the ninja. It took all of his courage to open his mouth and let the words escape it, and all of his strength to put on his mask, which had become more and more of a useless chore. He sat down at the small table, close enough for the two of them to talk, but far away enough not to easily be reached. The ninja was on the tatami mat, sitting up cross-legged, simply gazing outside. He would have been sitting on the back walk, if the mage had allowed it. He had not argued. The mage took in a deep, yet shallow breath before he spoke.

"Kuro-sama," he just couldn't bring himself to use his actual name, "How do you feel?" The ninja gave a small noise which the mage took as a grunt in response.

"Groggy, tired, confused, as if what I came back to was not home. Stuck in time. You?" He looked at the mage with piercing eyes. He swallowed, turning his head to the view that Kurogane had previously been admiring.

"I am fine. You only need be concerned with your own health," he knew very well, though, that the ninja was not talking about his health. The ninja grunted again, this time sounding like a bitter laugh.

"So I'm not allowed to be concerned with you at all then?" The mage did not answer, just seemed to get stiffer. "That's too bad. I have to take care of you, since you won't do it yourself." The mage glanced angrily at him, but did not meet his eyes.

"What gives you the right? Let me die on the streets if I want to!" He almost wished that he had but his tongue. What had gotten into him? Since when had the ninja irritated him to this point before? It had to be nerves about the transition of a moving life to a stationary one. That had to be it. He couldn't process any more though, because the ninja was speaking, all too calmly.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm going to care. Even if it can only be as E." That seemed to be the end of it in Kurogane's mind. He stared down the mage, as if daring him to argue. He did just that.

"I never gave you that right." The ninja's eyes narrowed to slits. When had Fai become so bitter again? He stood, walking over to his sword and lifting it with the kind of grace that only a warrior can possess. Then, he turned back to the mage, walking closer, forcing the mage within arms reach.

"Tell me this, Fai, if you still want to die, then why come back with me?" When the mage didn't answer, Kurogane shoved the sheathed sword under his chin, forcing his head up, giving him no choice but to make eye contact. The mage swatted it away with one hand.

"I don't want to die." He stood, walking towards the open back door. This had become a regular escape route for him. Something grabbed his arm, that something being the ninja's strong hand. He certainly had his strength back.

"Then why can't I care?" He wasn't looking at the mage, but down at his feet instead. The mage had never seen him so humbled before. His anger turned to a rush of confused inner antics. _Because you'll get hurt._ No, he was going to be hurt no matter what the mage wanted, because that was the position that Kurogane had forced them both into where the rain burned the skin from the bone. He was at a loss for any new reasons.

"I don't know." He fled into the gardens, leaving the ninja to collapse back onto the tatami mat, sword across his lap, and bury his head in his hands in thought.

Night fell early, but to the awkward companions it felt like years. Fai returned quietly through the wing entrance, finding Kurogane exactly where he left him. It was dark, the stars and the moon illuminating the most precious details of everything their light hit. The mage stepped past the ninja to the wardrobe, stripping out of his heavy robes to find something lighter and moveable to wear. He found something much too big for him, probably Kurogane's, but slipped it on anyway, not caring. It slipped from his shoulders when he moved, so he pulled it closer around him, although it was thin enough to make him feel as if he were wearing nothing at all. With it closer he could smell the ninja, ever so lightly on the fabric. He had slept in it before, then. The scent was calming, like the breeze that ruffled the cloth. He looked down at the sleeping figure on the floor, suddenly feeling colder than he had expected. There was also this aching pain in his chest, one that would not go away, but was dulled with the smell on the tunic. The mage pulled his hair out of the tie laying it on the ground next to his mat, which he crouched on. The warrior did not move.

"I'm sorry." He said it softly, as if wishing that it needn't be put into words. The warrior still did not move. Instead, he spoke.

"Do you still wish that I had let you die in Tokyo?" His voice was completely clear, as if he had been awake all along, but his eyes were shut. The mage should have known better than to think the ninja would have slept with him wandering about.

"No." The mage smiled softly, and like usual, it wasn't completely sincere. "I did, back then," he could have sworn that the ninja flinched just then, "but it was after then that I truly began living. I am grateful for that." He was met with silence and had begun to wonder if he had said too much. Damn him, for giving himself away like that. Even now, as a free man, he still hurt people if they found out the real him. Somehow, though, the part of him that he had buried was clawing its way eagerly to the surface, whether he wanted it to or not.

"And I'm still not allowed to care?" There was a silent pain in his voice, one that only the mage could feel. He knew that he would have to give the ninja an answer eventually. He would try to avoid it with twisted words and half truths as long as he could.

"I'm sorry, Kuro-chan. I was angry before, for no reason too. Don't worry, I'll take care of myself for you." The tone was so fake that Fai couldn't believe that he, the master of falsities had been the one to say such a thing. Still, he hadn't really answered the question. Let the warrior read into it however he pleased.

"I'll kill you if you don't, and I'll be here when you stop lying." They both were silent, leaving each other to think about everything that they both should have already known, but refused to accept or believe. That night neither of them slept without going into a restless fit.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter took so long to put up, but I've been away on holiday for the past week. Actually, the chapter was finished before I left, but there was a problem withthe internet, so it had to wait until I returned. Hope you enjoy this one, it's a bit of an apology for how sucky the last chapter was! Rated M for a reason!

Tsubasa is not mine. If it was, then it would end up like some of CLAMP's first works (dirty yaoi dojins).

Rate and REVIEW PLEASE! Reviews are what I live for. That and naughty cat-boys.

I will take requests if someone has an idea for a story or a particular couple that they like, seeing as how this **may **be the last installment of Life After. PM me if you'd like!

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Chapter 6

Fai woke to find that the ninja had gone to train the new defense force for the royal court. In truth, the mage hadn't actually fallen asleep until after the ninja had left at sunrise, but had pretended to be in a deep sleep anyway. He didn't want to talk to the warrior just yet. He'd have to soon enough though.

Kurogane was sure that whoever had hired the guards to protect the princess was going to die of some ridiculous cause. There would be no honourable death for such a stupid person. These men didn't know how to hold their swords, let alone fight with them. The whole exercise seemed pointless in his mind. They each ran at him, with wooden training swords in hand, trying to get in at least one cheap shot before he knocked them to the ground so fast that they didn't have time to register that he had even moved. It was sad, really, that he was lowered to such things. There were two or three men in the group that were good enough to actually make contact with the warrior before falling to the hard earth below, and these men were pulled out from the rest at the end of the training to spar with Kurogane properly, one on one. With the way that the training was going, he would need them each to get as far as those three men before he'd be allowed any rest.

The first man took the usual approach, charging straight forward, seemingly without purpose or technique. Kurogane let him sidestep him and took it as an opportunity to swing the wooden blade under his feet before he struck. The man fell, yelping in surprise. He was helped to his feet by the warrior, and then his technique was critiqued. They fought again, a replay of the fight over, to point out each point of vulnerability. Most of the men, all of which were listening intently, nodded as they each muttered about the failed attack. The next man up, though was silent. He watched the first fall with eyes that said he understood what had failed better than the rest. Kurogane watched him as he stepped into the circle that his men had made around them. He was a young man, probably a few years younger than the warrior himself, with dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. It wasn't long enough to look yakuza, but stick out at strange angles at some points. He looked too thin to be a proper warrior, but he was fast, like the mage. Kurogane shook that thought away. No one was like the mage. He wouldn't make that comparison again. The young man's hands shook ever so slightly as he raised his sword to the fighting stance. The ninja would have assumed that he was nervous, but for his eyes, which held a practiced sharpness in them. He knew his craft.

Neither of them moved forward, waiting for the other to make the first move. There was absolute silence throughout the regiment. Kurogane shifted his weight from one foot to the other and that's when the young man struck. The warrior blocked his first attack easily, moving in with one of his own. That, to his great surprise, was also blocked. The young man moved his sword much like the ninja did, attacking in a defensive pose so that he was ready to defend and then back on the offensive without a moment's hesitation. They continued for a few minutes, neither of them getting a shot in, before the ninja began to get frustrated. This was taking too long. He moved in for a final blow, but the young man saw it coming. He stepped on the wooden blade as it sliced the air next to him, using it as leverage when he raised his blade in a high arc. Surprisingly, he did not cut across, as Kurogane had expected. Instead, he pulled the blade up and used the butt of his sword as a weapon. It struck Kurogane against the temple, causing him to lose balance. The warrior, however, was still better. He used the gravity of his fall to turn, swinging his sword in a complete three hundred and sixty degree circle, burying the blade in the stomach of the young man and forcing him to the ground. Kurogane landed in a crouch, rising to help up his opponent. He took the ninja's hand graciously and stood, a bit wobbly. The ninja studied him for a moment, taking in how dark a shade of brown his eyes were and how they seemed to shine.

"What's your name?" The young man looked up at him. He was about Fai's height. Kurogane cursed himself for the thought.

"Ide. Kukuchi Ide, sir." His voice was thick as honey and just as smooth.

"Where did you learn to fight like that, Ide?" The young man grinned like a wildcat, although his hands were still shaking ever so slightly.

"I've studied your technique. I used it through my time at the Academy." So he had been one of the Academy boys. The Academy was a small reserve in the north, one that trained young men to have the discipline and strength of a true warrior. Few actually went to the Academy, most honing their skills on their own in the villages and the mountains during their travels. Kurogane himself had ventured to the Academy in order to become as strong as his father. They had not accepted him. It was partially out of spite for them that Kurogane had become as strong as he did. He took Ide by the wrist and raised his arm high, like a champion.

"Kukuchi Ide is now my second in command. You will train under him as well, listen to him as if he were me. Understand?" There was a chorus of "Yessir!" and a few frightened murmurs. No one disagreed with Kurogane. They weren't foolish enough to. Ide pulled his wrist back to his side, looking around at all the men. The ninja could have sworn he was blushing. It must have been a trick of the light.

The men were dismissed for the day, most of them were too exhausted to have gotten any work done anyway, except for Ide. He stayed behind, helping Kurogane collect the wooden swords and bring them back to the training room. Kurogane looked forward to unwinding in the baths soon. He'd grab a change of clothes first, though. His room was, of course, visible across the courtyard. That was where they trained. He grabbed a broom, sweeping up whatever scum had fallen off of the men's sandals when they entered the training room that morning. There was a hand on his shoulder. It was Ide, smiling up at him gently.

"Let me." He took the broom from the ninja and continued what he had started. Kurogane watched him for a moment, then walked over to close the doors of the supply room. It was more of a closet, but it did the job. They talked for a bit, discussing the other men and who would excel most in training. All the while, Ide swept, looking up at the ninja, who was leaning against the wall with crossed arms, occasionally to smile at him. It was a soft look, one that was misplaced on a warrior. He finished working, and Ide offered to close up, again putting his hand on the ninja's arm. Kurogane let him, wondering what his hidden agenda was. It was nice to have someone else helping him, though, someone with similar interests. He wasn't bad to look at either. He turned to leave, wondering if the mage would be there when he opened the door. He hoped for both him to be there and gone. He didn't want them to argue over trivial things like dying anymore. There was no point to it. He sighed as he strode over to his room, not seeing the other man watching him.

The mage had spent the majority of his day watching the ninja train the royal guard. He watched him as he moved gracefully out of harms way when the men tried to strike, how fluid his movements seemed. He didn't like the other person that was watching him. It was a young man, with hair pulled back and loose robes. The mage watched from the room as the young man studied Kurogane, memorizing how he moved. Then, when they had fought, the young man had chosen his moves carefully, getting to see the ninja at every angle he could. It was obvious to the mage that this man had an interest in the warrior, especially when he had stayed behind after training. He hated the way the man touched Kurogane's arm in a "friendly" gesture. He knew it was no such thing. There was a way to how the man moved that was intentional, the way he got a flash of skin through his too big robes, the way they would slip from his shoulders and he would feign embarrassment as he pulled them back up. Kurogane was returning to the room now, and the young man was standing in the doorway of the training room, leaning against the broom handle, watching the ninja from behind as he walked. He didn't look menacing, but the thought was there, in his eyes. Fai turned from the doorway, annoyed. He didn't have the right to pass judgment on the young man. It wasn't as if he and the ninja were lovers. That thought irritated the mage for some reason. He could see the two of them, alone, in the training room, or maybe even in the courtyard at night, when they thought no one could see them through the dark. He saw the young man slipping out of his clothes, pulling the ninja into a long kiss. The ninja would respond, roughly, as Fai had always imagined it would be, and dominate the young man, leaving breathless gasps and moans in his wake. He watched in his mind as the two wove themselves together in a violent heat, never slowing down for too long, the sweat dripping from the ninja's brow. They would make a good couple. Both were warriors, shared common beliefs from the look of it, had strong wills and bodies. They even looked good together. His frustration was starting to surface as the back door slid to the side and said ninja stepped through the doorway.

"You're here." The ninja sounded almost surprised. He hadn't seen the mage watching, he was too good for that. The mage turned, his mask on, forcing his face to be blank. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the man go to put away his broom.

"How was training?" His tone was as blank as he could make it; he didn't put in the effort to make it sound interested. The ninja shrugged.

"They're a bunch of idiots. Nearly none of them has any idea of what to do with a sword. I can do their job on my own." He walked over to the wardrobe, rifling through some clothes until he found something suitable. He tossed it onto the table, running his hand through his sticky hair.

"Who was that, then?" He nodded at the man, who was coming out of the room across the courtyard and closing the doors. Kurogane looked for a minute then turned back and answered.

"Ide. He's the only one that knows anything about fighting. He's not bad either. I've made him my second in command. I think if we train privately each day then he'll be a worthy adversary." The image of those two tangled up together appeared in the mage's mind again. He swallowed heavily. This shouldn't be bothering him. The ninja had confessed to _him_, why should he be worried about some other man? Why would he be worried about it in the first place? Something occurred to him then, sending a pain through his chest.

"You call him by his first name?" Kurogane stopped what he was doing, looking at the mage as if he had two heads. A realization came over his eyes, and Fai felt something small inside him die.

"I guess I do." That was different. He barely called the mage by his name, the kid had always been "kid", the witch was either that or "hag," and the princess was just that. Why had he called this warrior by his name rather than the traditional "you" or just Kukuchi-kun? His brain had to be messed up. The mage didn't look too well, he thought, snapping back to reality. He wasn't looking him in the eye. Instead, he went over to get a towel and bowl of water. The mage looked up at the ninja after dipping the cloth in the water, ringing it out in his hands.

"Did he do this to you?" The ninja reached up to where the mage was looking. There was a small trail of blood flowing down the side of his face. _He must have hit me harder than I thought,_ Kurogane mused. The mage moved his hand and dabbed lightly at the wound, causing previously unfelt pressure in his head to appear. He winced unhappily as the mage cleaned his face, watching the unchanging expression on his face. It was focused, deliberately not meeting his eyes. That's when Kurogane noticed the slight tinge of gold in one eye. Ah, he was cleaning up Kurogane's blood, of course. It was his body's natural instinct to react. He was holding back well, acting as if it was just another daily chore that he had grown used to. The ninja looked outside, having his face turned back to the mage so he could keep wiping up the dirt and blood. The afternoon sun was fading bit by bit, turning to an orange glow on the horizon. No one would likely be disturbing them this late, it was the most opportune moment he would have for a while.

The ninja reached up to where the mage was cleaning while Fai dipped the cloth back into the water and touched the cut. He slid his finger over it, pretending to examine it that way. The blood was pooling around the tip of his finger, even with the amount of time that had passed since the cut was made. The mage pushed his hand away with an exasperated look.

"I can't clean it if you're in my way." He was nearly finished with his sentence when the ninja pushed his finger just past the mage's parted lips. Fai's tongue darted out before the rest of him could react, then his lips closed around Kurogane's finger and he sucked, eyes half lidded. The one that had been turning gold had completed its change. Kurogane examined his eyes while the mage worked, mourning the blue that had faded when the mage had lost half of his magic. When he wasn't feeding, they were both blue, just not as strong a colour as they originally had been. The ninja missed that colour.

Fai came back to his senses fairly quickly, pushing the ninja back as if he were a leper. Anger flashed through his eyes.

"What do you think you're-" He stopped when a hand grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to meet the ninja's eyes.

"Your eye turned gold. What else was I supposed to do?" Fai stared at him, knowing full well that his eye had changed and that there was nothing he could do about it. "You're thirsty." It was a statement, not a question.

"We did this less than a week ago…" He turned his head, escaping from Kurogane's fingers for a moment before he took hold of his wrist. The ninja took the same finger and scooped up the still flowing blood. He moved closer to the mage so that he could reach his face and spread the red over his lips. He watched as they quivered, then the blood was gone, replaced with the quick swipe of a tongue. The mage didn't look at him.

"The more often we do it, the less you have to take each time. It would be better for us both," he purred, pulling the mage in further. It usually took more than a taste of blood to convince him.

The mage shuddered; he could feel Kurogane's pulse through his strong fingers. He wasn't going to fight this time. He was tired of fighting, tired of feeling wicked, tired of being confused all of the time. He got clarity when he fed. There was no thought to it, no complex games or masks, just the pure, wanton need. From the neck, feeding was a drug, one that he decided would become a habitual vice. The ninja ran a hand through the mage's hair, in an attempt to sooth him, to lessen the fight. An image of him and the young Ide flashed through the mage's mind again. That was it for him. He lunged at the ninja, pushing him back with every ounce of strength he had. They rammed into the table, knocking the bowl of soiled water to the ground, but neither of them cared. Kurogane hit the wall roughly, causing his head to spin. The mage was pushing against him, holding him in place by the shoulders as he licked a thick trail up the ninja's neck, trying to find that perfect spot. The ninja shivered, not used to the new method that Fai seemed keen on trying again. There was the sharp pain as Fai bit down viciously, anchoring himself with sharp bottom teeth as well. The ninja cried out, not expecting such an action to come from the mage. There was a suck, followed by a longer, slower one and the ninja's head began to go fuzzy. There was that feeling again, the heat of the mage against him, the slow, unintentional rocking. The mage sucked him in, at the same time rocking forward, then exhaling, and rocking back. It was a timed, precise movement. It was too soon when the ninja felt the mage begin to pull back. He grabbed him by the hair and pushed him back against his skin, the momentary high too much for him to give up. Fai looked at him, for a moment, his face pressed against the ninja's neck. He gave a deliberate, torturous lick over the wound, not turning away from the ninja. He shuddered, turning his face away with a sound like a cry. The hand in the mage's hair tightened, his other hand grasping the cloth on his back. They stood there, breathing hard, just trying to catch their breaths. The mage tried to slide from the ninja's grasp, easing out of his arms like a snake. It nearly took too long for the ninja to realize what he was trying to do.

"No…" He moved with the mage, pushing him against the other wall, turning him slightly to do so. He towered over the mage, staring down at him with what little controul he had left. It was unlike him to throw away his warrior's discipline, but the way the mage seemed to take over his body when he fed took away his sanity. The mage was at an awkward angle, having to crane his neck up to reach the ninja's would. Like the last time, he didn't insert his fangs again, he just licked, sucking occasionally when Kurogane's movements would allow him to get close enough. His hands were roaming over the ninja's stomach and chest, trying to find something to hold onto, but never settling on one place. Their bodies were molded like crescent moons, the top connected by their faces and necks, the bottom connected by their groins. They were both still rocking, Fai's smaller hips fitting perfectly between Kurogane's thighs. The ninja dipped his head, letting his mouth rest against Fai's ear as he breathed deeply. The mage let out a choked moan. The ninja snapped back to reality. What were they doing? They hadn't even, ah… ooohhh. He'd fix that, even if the mage would hate him for it later.

"Fai…" The mage jumped at the word. Actually, it was more of a moan than a word. He looked up at the ninja, eyes widening when their cheeks touched. Hot breath stained their faces and the mage watched dumbfounded as the ninja leaned in, eyes closed, and brushed his lips over the mage's. Fai didn't respond to the gentle motion, just stopped moving completely. Just when he thought the ninja was about to pull away, he felt something hot and wet slide over his lips. The mage's eyes just about rolled into the back of his head as he let his lips part and the ninja took controul, for a moment at least. A full second passed before Fai truly reacted, moving hungrily against the ninja as if it were his last moment on earth. Kurogane had not the time to be surprised; instead he just pushed the mage flat against the wall, feeling his chest rise and fall spasmodically like his own. Their faces parted and there was a moment of silence in which the two just looked at each other, without any words. It was the longest moment of their lives so far.

It was the mage that ended the moment, leaning forward, tilting his head with heavy eyelids and placing a gentle, self conscious kiss on the ninja's lips. Kurogane's heart just about melted. He cupped the mage's face in his hands, returning the kiss just as gently. It was a confession of love, without the words that were stumbled over or merely left out. It consisted of soft caresses of lips and breathy sighs that told more than any amount of words could. The mage began to move again, this time much more slowly. The ninja became once more aware of the pressure in his lower body, although it had not subsided. He moved back, meeting each forward movement with his own, basking in the few sounds that the mage let escape. He loved those sounds. The mage was stubborn though, and intent on keeping them a secret to the world. The movements got rougher, as did the kisses, and more of the luscious noises escaped the mage's reddened lips.

Somehow, they had managed to make it over to one of the tatami mats, ruining the perfectly set bedspread in the process. Fai hit the bedspread on his back, hips jerking up in response. The ninja, who had landed on top of him, cried out, every muscle in his body tightening. The mage smiled wickedly. As much as the ninja was in controul of him, he was in controul of the ninja. Maybe one day he'd dominate him like he should. At the moment, though, the ninja seemed quite intent on making the mage submit to him. He attacked the mage's neck while pulling off the tie to his robe. The mage, when he could breathe, began to pull of the ninja's robe in response. They were both completely disrobed after not long. The ninja couldn't help but stare in awe at the mage. He had seen his skin before, but never this close at such an angle. He had gotten skinnier, his ribs poking out against his skin, each leaving a visible line. The mage's face was starting to turn an embarrassed shade of red, so Kurogane took to more pleasurable tasks. He lapped at the blonde line that trailed down from the mage's navel, earning a delicious mew that was half gasp and half moan. He moved lower, ignoring the most needy part of the mage to focus on his thighs, running his tongue over the creamy skin. The mage pulled his legs together, forcing the ninja to focus. Kurogane grinned wolfishly, showing white teeth.

"Demanding, aren't we?" he felt fingers in his hair as an answer, pulling him up higher. He chuckled, setting a slow pace on his task. He moved from the hilt to the head, using only the tip of his tongue. He had never done such a thing, but the mage seemed to be reacting pleasantly enough. He did this a few more times before enveloping the entire thing into his mouth, at the same time pushing a finger into the mage's center. Fai cried out again, his entire body tensing as if he were in pain. The ninja bobbed his head slowly, trying to replace the pain with pleasure. The mage tried to force his hips up, but his state didn't change. Kurogane nearly choked, pulling his head up rapidly, earning hiss from the mage. It had been difficult to take him into his mouth. The mage was bigger than he was, which indulged the ninja's curiosity a bit. He began to push a second finger into the mage, but a whisper made him pause.

"S-stop." The ninja did just that, climbing up to the mage's face. Was he hurting the mage that much? Was it harder to take than he expected? Two long arms wrapped themselves around the ninja's neck, pulling him down a little and pulling the mage up as well. He licked at the wound on the ninja's neck, loving the shiver that it sent rumbling down the warrior's back.

"Just do it." He needed no more encouragement than that, easing himself into the mage with caution. The mage clenched, then pushed hard against the ninja, sheathing him fully. The warrior gasped, having trouble holding himself up with one arm and holding the mage in the other. The ninja waited a moment to adjust to the feeling, then pulled back, and thrust, enticing a silent scream from the mage. He repeated the motion, over and over, finding that the mage had been reduced to gasps whenever he pushed in. Hands clawed at his back, leaving long marks that would in the morning turn red. Fai tried to keep his focus, leaving kisses and running his tongue over the ninja's neck and jaw, but was soon enough lost in what was happening to his body. He reached down, unconsciously, and stroked a finger along his nipple, arching into his own hand, moving it in time with Kurogane. It was the most gorgeous thing the ninja had ever seen. He almost came then. Instead, he grabbed the mage's hand and hoisted him up, positioning him so that he was sitting in his lap. He adjusted his thrusts, letting the mage sink down until he screamed, this time out loud, as the most wonderful spot inside him was hit. He was dripping now, and moving against the ninja as much as the ninja was moving in him. Kurogane leaned forward, taking one of the mage's neglected nipples into his mouth, sucking and swirling his tongue as if he had done the same thing his entire life. Each thrust hit that spot, and Fai jerked every time, leading Kurogane to the same breathless gasps. Kurogane's mouth moved over to the other nipple, giving it much of the same treatment. The mage wouldn't last much longer, but neither would he. The tight heat around him was making him drown, and with each inward movement he clenched, driving the ninja to the edge of madness. The mage pulled the ninja's face up, giving him a violent kiss, pushing him even further. The pace was beginning to get lost as the thrusts became more desperate, closer and closer and closer. They were too shallow, and then deep enough to make the mage see stars, then shallow, shallow, white lightning. Tongues slid past each other expertly, exploring the unknown cavern of the other. Kurogane's fingers slid up the mage's torso, gently brushing over Fai's nipple as he thrust up particularly hard. That was all it took for the both of them. Kurogane moved inside the mage, the spasm causing the mage to tighten to the point of suffocation. He came then, the mage following immediately, both breaking from the kiss to scream. They wrapped themselves around each other, holding on for fear of losing the high, riding out the pleasure until they both came down from it.

The mage didn't have enough energy to pull himself off of the ninja, just collapsed on top of him with the warrior still inside him. It was warm, comfortable. He wanted to sleep. Kurogane lifted him up enough to remove himself, then replaced him onto his lap, falling to the ground with the mage tangled in his arms. The mage didn't struggle, instead he pushed against the warmth, trying to capture more of it. The ninja pushed aside the mage's bangs, leaning in to kiss his eyelids.

"Fai," he sighed, and the mage shivered. It was sticky and hot, but at least the back door was open and a breeze was passing through. The moonlight was the only thing lighting the room now, and the way it hit Fai's face was absolutely exquisite. Kurogane admired the view for a while before letting his eyes close. Before he fell asleep, though he heard his love's voice faintly.

"Kurogane?" He loved it when Fai used his full name, when he wasn't mad at him, at least.

"Hmm?" Was all he could manage.

"How do we explain," the mage started weakly, "If that steward comes back again?" The ninja laughed, hugging the mage tightly as if that was his answer. Neither of them was awake long enough to find out.


	7. Epilogue

Hello Everyone, I am sad, yet partially releived, to announce that this is the official end to Life After. Although I'm not fond of happy endings, I think that you all will be fairly pleased, even with it as short as it is.

I do not own Tsubasa. If I did Kurogane and Fai's fights would be so much cuter!

R&R Please.

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Epilogue

It rained the next day. The warrior and the mage washed in the rainwater that they collected once they had gotten out of bed. It was tempting to stay under the blankets until nightfall, but eventually the rain began to fall sideways with the wind, blowing in through the still open back door. This time, Fai tried to properly clean the wound on Kurogane's neck, the ninja nipping at his ear, trying to break his focus. He didn't let himself get distracted, but did allow a small sigh to escape, once the warrior was patched up, tea was made. It was the perfect solution to the chill that had swept through the usually warm spring air. The mage sat at the table, which had been returned to its natural place, sipping the tasteless liquid with closed eyes. The ninja sat next to him, their shoulders touching lightly. The mage handed him the tea, not thirsty for tea or anything else for that matter. For once he craved nothing, not even forgiveness. He was, in a word, content. The warrior was holding him up. That was all he needed. At least, until the rain stopped.

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Hope everyone enjoyed Life After! I'm taking any story requests, preferably yaoi/shonen ai, for just about any manga/anime if anyone is interested (please, I have no other purpose in life... sob sob)

Thanks to all of my loyal readers, I appreciate and love you all!

Until next time,

Rose.


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